A Guide To Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo has become an absolute necessity for many people, especially as our lives become increasingly busy. The product enables us to keep hair looking fresh and fierce, saving time when we’re constantly on the go!

But when purchasing dry shampoo, sifting through the seemingly infinite marketing claims often proves difficult, if not impossible! That’s why Reviews.com put 54 dry shampoo formulas to the test to get at the truth behind the best dry shampoo.

Their team spent 45 hours scouring the most trusted beauty blogs, speaking to industry experts, then testing the 17 top contenders in-house!

In a high-quality dry shampoo, researchers sought out formulas that…

Soak up oil from hair and scalp

Leave hair smelling fresh and pleasant

Add volume and bounce to hair

Help prolong of the life of salon treatments, such as a blowout

Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk came out on top as the overall favorite, but Reviews.com also included top picks for different hair types. Their dry shampoo guide helps you the best dry shampoo for you – Do you have dark hair? Oily hair? Fine hair? Coarse/curly hair? Are you seeking a salon quality or drugstore formula? Reviews.com’s resource provides you a tailored recommendation for your hair type…and budget!

So how did Reviews.com reach their conclusions?

They first identified the 17 most popular dry shampoo formulas among beauty editors and stylists.

Then, they tested the dry shampoo formulas on their own “second-day” hair to observe their effectiveness.

After trying out the 17 dry shampoo formulas firsthand, the testers narrowed down their list. They eliminated those that…

Left behind a chalky residue

Omitted an unpleasant smell

Charged obscenely high prices

Required reapplication of the product several times to see results

The dry shampoo guide closes with some basic takeaways for readers, such as important things to remember when purchasing dry shampoo:

Dry shampoo is available in one of two forms: spray or loose powder. Experts that the team spoke to were divided over which substance was better.

It’s safer to avoid dry shampoo with chemicals like parabens or hair-drying sulfates. Talc is another ingredient that Jacquelyn Walent, a senior stylist at DevaChan Salon in New York City, advises against. In laboratory studies, talc has been proven to cause tumors. Talc told Reviews.com researchers, “You want the least amount of chemicals possible…You want something where you can recognize the majority of the ingredients. Personally, if I can’t recognize something, I don’t want to ingest it or put it on my body. Our skin is super-absorbent, and once we absorb a product into our skin, it’s going into our bloodstream.”

Dry shampoo has its limitations; relying on them for too many days in a row can result on sticky or gummy hair. It’s a useful shortcut, but not a long-term replacement for actual shampoo.

There are DIY options, utilizing ingredients such as baking soda, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, baby powder, cocoa powder, etc. They are a lot cheaper, but can be messy and time-consuming.